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Eco-friendly chemical oxygen demand (COD) sensors are highly desired with respect to the importance of COD determination in environmental protection. In this work, a new FTO/TiO2/PbO2 (FTO = fluorine-doped tin oxide) electrode was fabricated with a two-step method and used as an eco-friendly electrochemical COD sensor. The interlayer TiO2 was employed to strengthen the adhesion of PbO2 on the FTO substrates by providing a large TiO2/PbO2 interface area. The effects of the factors including applied potential, supporting electrolyte concentration and stirring speed on the sensing performance were investigated. Under the optimized conditions, linear responses to the COD of water with different COD sources were achieved, and a linear range from 5 to 120 mg/L was obtained in the case of sucrose as the COD source. The relative standard deviations (RSD) were determined to be less than 9% for the glucose solutions with the COD of 7.5, 12.5 and 17.5 mg/L. For real sample analysis, the obtained results were comparable with those measured with the conventional dichromate method, with a relative error less than 11%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Broad neural networks provide an alternative way of deep learning with a novel flatted structure, which employ a non-iterative training mechanism and exhibit high efficiency in various recognition tasks. However, such broad networks unavoidably suffer from unstable performance due to the double random mappings in the generation of feature representations and the consequent uncertainty. The existing research often neglect to explore the effect of the quality of the broaden feature representations, which is crucial for the model performance. This paper presents a progressively-enhanced framework taking broad network as basic learners (PE-BL) to address the existing issues. The basic broad learners in PE-BL are trained in sequence, and the core manipulation is to modify the primitive hidden feature representations of the current learner through the nonlinear transformation of the prediction from the previous one, so the resulting broaden representations become more discriminative. Further, PE-BL is adapted to the scenarios where only a single broad learner is employed. Finally, extensive comparative experiments on some benchmark datasets and Electroencephalogram (EEG)-based emotion recognition task verify the effectiveness of the proposed methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a compact and effective learning model, the random vector functional link neural network (RVFL) has been confirmed with universal approximation capabilities. It has gained considerable attention in various fields. However, the randomly generated parameters in RVFL often lead to the loss of valid information and data redundancy, which severely degrades the model performance in practice. This paper first proposes an efficient network parameters learning approach for the original RVFL with pseudoinverse learner (RVFL-PL). Instead of taking the random feature mapping directly, RVFL-PL adopts a non-iterative manner to obtain influential enhancement nodes implanted with valuable information from input data, which realizes to improve the quality of the enhancement nodes and ease the problem caused by the randomly assigned parameters in the standard RVFL. Since the network parameters are optimized analytically, this improved variant can maintain the efficiency of the standard RVFL. Further, the RVFL-PL is extended to a multilayered structure (mRVFL-PL) to obtain high-level representations from the input data. The results of comprehensive experiments on some benchmarks indicate the performance improvement of the proposed method compared to other corresponding methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The radial migration of cortical pyramidal neurons (PNs) during corticogenesis is necessary for establishing a multilayered cerebral cortex. Neuronal migration defects are considered a critical etiology of neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), schizophrenia, epilepsy, and intellectual disability (ID). TRIO is a high-risk candidate gene for ASDs and ID. However, its role in embryonic radial migration and the etiology of ASDs and ID are not fully understood. In this study, we found that the in vivo conditional knockout or in utero knockout of Trio in excitatory precursors in the neocortex caused aberrant polarity and halted the migration of late-born PNs. Further investigation of the underlying mechanism revealed that the interaction of the Trio N-terminal SH3 domain with Myosin X mediated the adherence of migrating neurons to radial glial fibers through regulating the membrane location of neuronal cadherin (N-cadherin). Also, independent or synergistic overexpression of RAC1 and RHOA showed different phenotypic recoveries of the abnormal neuronal migration by affecting the morphological transition and/or the glial fiber-dependent locomotion. Taken together, our findings clarify a novel mechanism of Trio in regulating N-cadherin cell surface expression via the interaction of Myosin X with its N-terminal SH3 domain. These results suggest the vital roles of the guanine nucleotide exchange factor 1 (GEF1) and GEF2 domains in regulating radial migration by activating their Rho GTPase effectors in both distinct and cooperative manners, which might be associated with the abnormal phenotypes in neurodevelopmental disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-powered glucose biosensor (SPGB) is of great interest due to the advantages including single configuration, good stability and particularly no need of external power sources. Herein, a mediator-free SPGB with high sensitivity and good selectivity is constructed based on a hybrid enzymatic biofuel cell (EBFC) composed of a glucose oxidase/cobalt phthalocyanine/1-pyrenebutyric acid/buckypaper (GOD/CoPc/PBA/BP) bioanode and a MnO2/PBA/BP capacitive cathode. The efficient electron transfer from GOD to electrodes is achieved successfully through the anode oxidation of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), one nature product of glucose oxidation catalyzed by GOD, thus avoiding the potential drawbacks posed by the use of redox mediators. CoPc servers as an efficient catalyst to lower the anode potential required by the reaction of H2O2 to 0.17 V. The MnO2/PBA/BP capacitive cathode is utilized because it can not only provide a high discharge potential and adequate capacitance to match the bioanode well, but also exhibit no potential interference to the anodic reaction. The concentration of glucose can be detected simply by measuring the output of the SPGB and a wide linear detection range from 0.5 to 8 mM has been obtained with high sensitivities of 48.66 and 32.12 μA·cm−2·mM−1 with and without stirring, respectively. The recoveries of glucose in grape juice and human serum are in the range from 99.5% to 101.2% with the relative standard deviation (RSD) less than 8%, indicating the good promise of the SPGB in sensing glucose in real samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Secondary cell wall not only provides rigidity and mechanical resistance to plants, but also has a large impact on plant growth and adaptation to environments. Biosynthesis of secondary cell wall is regulated by a complicated signaling transduction network; however, it is still unclear how the transcriptional regulation of secondary cell wall biosynthesis works at the molecular level. Here, we report in rice that OVATE family proteins 6 (OsOFP6) is a positive regulator in modulating expression of the genes related to biosynthesis of the secondary cell wall. Transgenic plants with knock-down of OsOFP6 by RNA interference showed increased leaf angle, which resulted from the thinner secondary cell wall with reduced amounts of cellulose and lignin, whilst overexpression of OsOFP6 in rice led to the thinker secondary cell wall with increased lignin content. Protein-protein interaction analysis revealed that OsOFP6 interacts with Oryza sativa homeobox 15 (OSH15), a class I KNOX protein. The interaction of OsOFP6 and OSH15 enhanced the transcriptional activity of OSH15 which binds to the promoter of OsIRX9 (Oryza sativa IRREGULAR XYLEM 9). Taken together, our study provides insights into the function of OsOFP6 in regulating leaf angle and the control of biosynthesis of secondary cell wall. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore the long-term prognostic value of a simplified risk assessment strategy based on the 2015 European Society of Cardiology (ESC)/European Respiratory Society (ERS) pulmonary hypertension (PH) guidelines in Chinese patients with connective tissue disease (CTD) associated with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Methods: We identified 50 CTD-PAH patients diagnosed by right heart catheterization. A retrospective chart review was completed to assess their clinical presentation and laboratory test results. A simplified version of the risk stratification model proposed by the 2015 ESC/ERS PH guidelines was applied, which included the WHO functional class, the 6-minute walking distance test, N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide plasma levels, pericardial effusion, right atrial pressure (RAP), cardiac index (CI), and mixed venous oxygen saturation (SvO2). The risk grades were defined as follows: low risk = at least 3 low-risk variables and no high-risk variables; high risk = at least 2 high-risk variables, including SvO2 or CI; and intermediate risk = when the above definitions of low or high risk were not fulfilled. The study endpoint was 3-year all-cause mortality. Results: Twenty patients were defined as a low-risk group, while 30 were classified into a combined intermediate-high-risk group at the baseline assessment. All 20 patients in the low-risk group remained in the low-risk group at follow-up, 20 patients in the intermediate-high-risk group were downgraded to the low-risk group, and eight patients remained in the intermediate-high-risk group at the follow-up assessment. Patients in the intermediate-high-risk group exhibited higher 3-year mortality than the low-risk group at baseline (26% vs 14%, P = 0.0384). Compared with patients who remained in the intermediate-high-risk group, patients who were downgraded to the low-risk group showed lower 3-year mortality (P = 0.0281). Conclusion: A simplified risk stratification model based on the 2015 ESC/ERS PH guidelines helped to identify CTD-PAH patients with poor long-term prognosis , which was useful in evaluating the severity and treatment response of patients with CTD-PAH. Key Point •This study showed that the simplified version of the 2015 ESC/ERS risk stratification model could help identify Chinese CTD-PAH patients with poor prognosis at diagnosis and after treatment initiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dexamethasone (DEX) is an effective therapeutic option commonly used in the treatment of many inflammatory diseases. However, DEX could impair proliferation or differentiation of osteoblasts, suggesting a pivotal role of DEX in bone destruction. Objective: To investigate whether intraarticular injection of DEX could exacerbate bone erosion during CIA development. Setting: Collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) mice were divided into PBS-treated and DEX-treated groups (n = 5/group). Negative control group: DBA/1 mice (n = 5) were used as age-matched, healthy, untreated controls. Method: CIA was induced in male DBA/1 mice. Intraarticular injected DEX (0.01 mg/Kg, 10 μl) into the knee joint of CIA on Day 28, Day 35, Day 42 and Day 49 post the 1st immunization. Results: The severity of the arthritic disease was ameliorated in DEX-treated mice, accompanied by the decreased expression of IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α. However, DEX treatment accelerates bone erosion and osteoporosis during CIA development and triggers higher expression of RANKL, IL-17 in vitro and vivo. Main outcome measure: The effect of DEX on bone structure was analyzed using Haematoxylin & Eosin (H&E) staining and Micro-CT. The levels of receptor activator for nuclear factor-κ B ligand (RANKL) and osteoprotegerin (OPG) were investigated by real-time PCR, Western Blot and immunohistochemical analysis. RASFs were stimulated with Interleukin (IL)-1β and then treated with different concentrations of DEX for 72 h. Conclusion: Intraarticular injection of DEX could exacerbate bone erosion in CIA model via up-regulation of RANKL expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of total glucosides of peony (TGP) in adults with primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS). A multi-center, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study was conducted between March 2012 and July 2014 at ten Chinese hospitals. In total, 320 pSS patients—classified according to the 2002 American-European Consensus Group Criteria—were randomized (2:1 ratio) to receive TGP(600 mg, tid) in the TGP group or placebo for 24 weeks in the placebo group. Study personnel, investigators, and patients were blinded to the treatment grouping. The primary endpoint was the improvement of EULAR Sjögren's Syndrome Patient Reported Index (ESSPRI) at week 24. The secondary endpoints were dry eyes/mouth/skin/nose/throat/vagina visual analogue scale (VAS), pain and discomfort VAS, fatigue VAS, mental discomfort VAS, patient global assessment (PGA), EULAR Sjögren's Syndrome Disease Activity Index (ESSDAI), Schirmer's test, basal/stimulated salivary flow-rate values, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). All adverse events were recorded during the trial period. ESSPRI improved more in the TGP than the placebo group (p < 0.001). Dry eyes/throat/vagina VAS, fatigue VAS, mental discomfort VAS, PGA, Schirmer's test, and ESR also improved more in the TGP group than in the placebo group (all p < 0.05). Stimulated salivary flow-rate values increased in the TGP group at week 12 but not at week 24. Adverse events in TGP group were 10.9%. TGP can alleviate some dryness symptoms as well as disease activity in pSS patients over 24 weeks. TGP was well tolerated by study subjects. TGP seems to be an effective and safe treatment for pSS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is thought to be one of the most frequent preceding symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the prevalence of RBD in PD stated in the published studies is still inconsistent. We conducted a meta and meta-regression analysis in this paper to estimate the pooled prevalence. We searched the electronic databases of PubMed, ScienceDirect, EMBASE and EBSCO up to June 2016 for related articles. STATA 12.0 statistics software was used to calculate the available data from each research. The prevalence of RBD in PD patients in each study was combined to a pooled prevalence with a 95 % confidence interval (CI). Subgroup analysis and meta-regression analysis were performed to search for the causes of the heterogeneity. A total of 28 studies with 6869 PD cases were deemed eligible and included in our meta-analysis based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The pooled prevalence of RBD in PD was 42.3 % (95 % CI 37.4-47.1 %). In subgroup analysis and meta-regression analysis, we found that the important causes of heterogeneity were the diagnosis criteria of RBD and age of PD patients (P = 0.016, P = 0.019, respectively). The results indicate that nearly half of the PD patients are suffering from RBD. Older age and longer duration are risk factors for RBD in PD. We can use the minimal diagnosis criteria for RBD according to the International Classification of Sleep Disorders to diagnose RBD patients in our daily work if polysomnography is not necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In contrast to wafer-scale experiments that can employ a sophisticated and well-optimized plating tool, coupon-scale studies of electrodeposition can be hindered by poor current distribution. The impact on primary current distribution and mass transfer of an insulating shield that can readily be used in a rotating disk setup is presented. Numerical simulations were employed to design an insulating shield assuming mass-transfer resistances were negligible. Several designs were fabricated and characterized using copper electrodeposition as the electrochemical reaction. Numerical and experimental results are consistent, and the shield is a convenient and effective way to achieve more uniform current distribution. However, the shield disturbs the uniform mass-transfer rates to the substrate surface that are achieved with a rotating disk. Rates are characterized experimentally, and design tradeoffs are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors regret that the Fig. 1 in the original version of this article contained an error. In the left column, 211 cases in the TGP group should be followed up for 8 weeks before 12 weeks. The correct figure presented in this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We previously reported adiponectin (AD) is highly expressed in the inflamed synovial joint tissue and correlates closely with progressive bone erosion in Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Here, we investigate the role of adiponectin in regulating Th17 response and the expression of receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL) in mice with CIA mice by intraarticularly injection of adiponectin into knee joints on day 17, day 20 and day 23 post first collagen immunization. The increased adiponectin expression was found in inflamed joint tissue of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) mice. Adiponectin injection resulted in an earlier onset of arthritis, an aggravated arthritic progression, more severe synovial hyperplasia, bone erosion and osteoporosis in CIA mice. CD4+IL-17+ Th17 cells, IL-17 mRNA and RANKL mRNA expression were markedly increased in the joint tissue of adiponectin treated CIA mice. Moreover, adiponectin treatment markedly enhanced Th17 cell generation from naive CD4+ T cells in vitro, which accompanied by the high expression of Th17 transcription factor ROR-γt, and Th17 cytokine genes included IL-22 and IL-23. This study reveals a novel effect of adiponectin in exacerbating CIA progression by enhancing Th17 cell response and RANKL expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]